Friday, October 30, 2009

What a lovely and quiet morning it is. I am the only one that has found my way out of bed so far. I've just poured my second cup of coffee and am deciding what to do with the day ahead. You see, I had plans today, certain plans like purchasing a few more pumpkins for carving tonight, going to the grocery and things such as that. Now, I've had a change in plans, an unexpected day is ahead. It looks like my trusty automobile is in need of a new battery and is refusing to start, so, I am sort of "stuck" here for the day. You want to know a secret? I'm a wee bit glad of it. Now, I have a perfectly legitimate excuse for staying home. A whole lovely day ahead to do all kinds of fun things.

I've already had a slow and chilly walk about my yard this morning. I've discovered that my hill holds a feast for the neighborhood birds, as the Firethorn offers up a large portion of red berries....

I took notice this morning that my blue garden gate could use a new coat of paint. The scratch, scratch, scratch marks at the bottom of the gate are from Junior (my mini-schnauzer) trying to dig his way through to the garden....

Ooopsie....looks like my birdhouse could use a new coat of paint as well....

Out front, the Liquidambers are showing a hint of Autumn warmth...

Earlier this morning, I finished off the last little bite of "Nutella Rolls" that my daughter made ~ Scrumptious and decadent...

These quiet days at home allow me to really see and appreciate all the small things, like my old cat Bonzo just up from a morning nap...

Quiet time in my almost finished studio...

Sparkly Jack-O-Lantern faces...

Old friends and new...

I adore pulling out my seasonal "vintage ephemera" for decorations...

So many comforting and familiar sights all about. It's easy to overlook these things when I'm oh so busy. So today I will "stop and smell the roses"...

Uh Oh, there are terrible and sweet temptations as well...

A huge cauldron full of goodies just waiting for the Trick-or-Treaters tomorrow night....

Let's hope that, after my day at home, there will be a few pieces of chocolate left for the costumed kids tomorrow night!!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Hello There...it's so good to be back. I believe it's been just slightly over a week since my last visit.

I've been busy working in my studio, as I have two custom pieces to finish. You see, these pieces are very dear to me, as the photos that I am working with are family photos. My dear aunt ( my mom's sister ) who passed away exactly a month to the date after my mom passed, is the focal point for these compositions.

They are to be gifted to my cousin, ( her son ). But, woe is me, I am having a terrible bout of "artist's block". Maybe it's because the pieces are so close to me. I've painted the backgrounds and then re-painted the backgrounds. I've introduced images and re-introduced images...still, I'm not satisfied. So, this weekend, I decided to work on something less personal, to rest my frustration and, hopefully, to find my direction.

It's been a couple of years since the last time I created an ACEO. This particular piece is a bit different, as I have used a neutral background, which allows the integrity of the old photos to hold their places. The neutral-ness also allows the "blood moon" (or Hunter's Moon) to take a bow as well. It's hard to believe, but this is my 210th ACEO. I really prefer to work at 4" x 6" or 5" x 7", but ACEOs are a good way to train the eye to utilize small format bases.

I titled this piece "Secrets Under the Blood Moon". I adore the idea of the Blood moon, which is an alternate name for Hunter's moon, the first full moon after the Harvest Moon. Seems rather fitting this time of year.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Although the calendar clearly says that Autumn is upon us, my little front garden refused to believe. The stubborn Impatiens continued to throw their colorful confetti of pinks with all their hearts...

But alas ~ a swap for happy orange Jack - O - Lanterns...

and creepy crawly spiders was in order....

The lush and cool hues that thrived in the ever-present terra cotta pots...

Friday, October 9, 2009

Well, good morning everyone. A lovely morning it is...a fresh breath of Autumn is all around. My birdbath is filled with frolicking and fighting birds of all types and colors, and my Jack-O-Lantern flag is lightly swaying in the breeze. All in all, I think it is a lovely Friday...a Photo Phriday to be exact.

One of my greatest joys is collecting vintage photos. If I could, I would buy every one of them and keep them all to myself, but alas ~ how selfish that would prove me to be!

I collect all sorts of specific types of photos. I adore photos that depict folks wearing striped stockings, or button boots or big hats. I'm always on the watch-out for anything eerie or unexplainable. My biggest collecting challenge is finding photos that depict people that remind me of fairy tale characters...children's book characters, nursery rhyme characters ~ well, you get the gist of it, yes?

These character finds are far and few between, and I don't have many of them, but I am always on the watch.

Today, I'd like to share with you two of my character finds...

Alice Liddell from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

This little girl is truly my idea of Alice. Most movies depict Alice to be much older than she was in the books. When I read the books, I picture Alice to be 7 and looking quite like this pretty little one.

Little Red Riding HoodThis is one of my Little Red Riding Hood photos. Once upon a time, I had another photo that depicted Little Red perfectly, but it was sold to help pay for some of my mom's medical expenses. However, the little girl in this photo is still a good character, even without a hood! She does have a cape and I imagine it to be red. Have a close look at the doll's face. The eyes, nose and mouth have been hand drawn.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

I adore parties. Eula is having a very special party and she's invited me to join her. Would you like to come along?

Eula is the little girl on the left with the short blonde hair. The pretty dark haired girl on the right is Marvie (who later married Loyd, who was married to Gerushia before she passed away). They were sisters and they were my aunts. This photo was taken in the Fall of 1919. Aren't they the cutest little country girls?

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Gary, my husband, has just received his Bachelor's in Business (Management and Leadership). Starting Monday, he's going onward to the Master's program.

It's taken quite a long time, as he also works full time, does the "manly" chores around the home and spends ample time with the family. Through all of this, we were also dealing with my mom's long, exhausting illness. (She passed away in June).

We had some terribly lean times during the school years as well. So much so that we couldn't afford the required text books. Other than 2 of his many, many classes, he fumbled his way through without the text books. And, may I brag a bit? Even without the books he came through with straight A's.

We've enjoyed our 2 weeks off, and Monday the school schedule will begin again. I'm not sure what to expect with his Master's courses, but I'm sure we can survive it.